May 18, 2007

MADISON, Wisc. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association retained its title of "Home of the National Champions" as Wisconsin became the third WCHA women's team to repeat as the national champion. The WCHA has won the NCAA title in all seven years of its existence and has won the women's national championship eight straight times. Since the inception of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four in 2001, three different WCHA teams have won the title. Minnesota Duluth won the first three NCAA crowns in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Minnesota, after winning the national title in 2000, took home the NCAA titles in 2004 and 2005 and Wisconsin has won the last two crowns after beating UMD, 4-1 in the all-WCHA 2007 NCAA Women's Frozen Four final in Lake Placid, N.Y.

After blanking St. Lawrence in the semifinals, Wisconsin and goalie Jessie Vetter's NCAA tournament shutout streak ended at 422:36 when UMD's Emmanuelle Blais scored, but it took the Badgers just seven seconds to get that goal back when Jasmine Giles deflected in a rebound off an Erika Lawler rush. For the second NCAA final in two years, UW's Jinelle Zaugg scored the first goal. Erika Lawler added the second, and Sara Bauer scored the third. Bauer, UMD's Jessica Koizumi, Vetter, Zaugg, and UW defensemen Bobbi-Jo Slusar and Meagan Mikkelson were the other all-tourney selections. Bauer was the Most Outstanding Player.

National Attendance: The WCHA led the way again in national attendance in 2006-07. Wisconsin ranked first in average home attendance with at 1,362 for 20 homes dates. They also led the nation with a total home attendance figure of 28,607. Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth ranked second and third, respectfully, in both categories. WCHA home arenas were also the site of two of the top single-game attendance highs. Leading the way was the NCAA regional game at UW's Kohl Center against Harvard with 5,125 on March 10. Also ranked was a January sellout at Ridder Arena when Minnesota drew 3,251 for a game against Wisconsin. The Border Battle attracted 5,524 for the two-game series.

WCHA Regular Season Championship: The Wisconsin Badgers captured their second consecutive WCHA regular season championship with a record of 23-1-4 in 28 conference games. The Badgers' 50 points outdistanced second place Minnesota Duluth (19-6-3, 41 points) and third place Minnesota (17-10-1, 35 points).

The final standings of the 2006-07 regular season: Wisconsin (23-1-4 in league play) wins the title for the second straight season with 49 points. Minnesota Duluth (19-6-3) finished in second place with 41 points, six more than third place Minnesota (17-10-1). Ohio State (13-11-4) placed fourth with 30 points, four ahead of fifth place Minnesota State (12-14-2, 16-17-2 overall) with 26 points. Sixth place Bemidji State had a 9-15-4 league record, 11-20-5 overall and 22 points. St. Cloud State (7-16-5, 12-18-7 overall) finished seventh with 19 points, followed by North Dakota (0-27-1, 3-31-2 overall) with one point.

Wisconsin Repeats as WCHA Playoff Champions: Wisconsin shut out fourth-seeded Ohio State, 4-0, in the WCHA Playoff Championship semifinals on Saturday, March 3 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis and then defeated Minnesota, 3-1, in the title game to claim their second straight playoff crown.

Three different players scored for the Badgers, who became the third team in league history to repeat as playoff champs. Meghan Duggan, Emily Kranz and Rachel Bible all scored in the title game for the Badgers (33-1-4), who also won he league's regular season championship. Senior Christine Dufour made 16 saves in the Badgers' goal.

Minnesota ousted Minnesota Duluth, 3-2, in overtime in a semi-final matchup on March 3. Gigi Marvin had the game-winner for the Golden Gophers, who faced Wisconsin in the WCHA finals for the third straight year. It was the sixth-straight season the Gophers competed in the championship game. Minnesota won titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005.

Against UMD, Minnesota got the early lead at 19:20 of the first period when senior captain Andrea Nichols scored her 14th goal of the season. The Bulldogs got a power-play goal from Saara Tuominen at 4:12 of the second period, Minnesota, responded to take the lead at 12:39 on a goal by Melanie Gagnon.

UMD's Jessica Koizumi scored a power-play goal at 4:50 in the third period to tie the game, 2-2, and it stayed that way until Marvin got a power play goal at 1:08 in overtime.

In the other semifinal, the Badgers got shutout goaltending from Jessie Vetter and blanked eliminated Ohio State. While Vetter made 22 saves and provided the defense, four different Badgers scored goals in Saturday's tournament opener. Jasmine Giles, Meghan Duggan, Angie Keseley and Jinelle Zaugg scored as the Badgers (32-1-4).

Sara Bauer was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the 2007 WCHA Playoff Championship. Other members of the all-tournament team included Vetter, defensemen Tessa Bonhomme of Ohio State and Meghan Mikkelson of Wisconsin and forwards Ross, Marvin and Zaugg.

The 2007 season was the eighth league championship since the start of the conference in 1999-2000. Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota have each won three playoff championships and Wisconsin won its first playoff title last season. This was the fourth straight year Ridder Arena has showcased the nation's premier women's collegiate hockey league.

2007 World Championship Participation: The WCHA was well represented at the 2007 IIHF Women's World Championship in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Manitoba. Nine current WCHA players, Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson, who led Team USA, and seven former league players represented the WCHA. Four current UW players (forwards Meghan Duggan, Erika Lawler, Jessie Vetter and Jinelle Zaugg) and two former Badgers (defenseman Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland) skated for silver medalist Team USA. UM forward Gigi Marvin and ex-Gophers Krissy Wendell and Natalie Darwitz also played for Team USA as did former UMD skater Jenny Potter. The Bulldogs also had three current players and three alumni in the tournament. Current forward Michaela Lanzl skated for Team Germany. UMD teammates Elin Holmlov and Kim Martin played for Team Sweden, a roster which also includes UMD alum Maria Rooth. Carla MacLeod, who played at UW, and Caroline Ouellette, an assistant coach and former player at UMD, played for gold medalist Team Canada, along with Tessa Bonhomme, a defenseman at Ohio State. Former Buckeye Emma Laaksonen played for Team Finland.

In the Polls: During the 2006-07 season, six different WCHA teams were ranked among the top 10 in the national polls. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Ohio State and St. Cloud State all cracked the polls at one point during the season.

Wisconsin, Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth were ranked in the top 10 during all 24 weeks of the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll and Ohio State was ranked for 12 weeks. UW, UM and UMD made the top 10 of the USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll in each of the 21 weeks of the poll. Four WCHA teams finished the season ranked in the top 10 of both national polls. UW was first in both while UMD was second in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll and eighth in the USCHO.com. Minnesota finished ninth in both polls while OSU ended the year 10th in both polls. UW earned the No. 1 ranking 13 times.

AHCA All-Americans: The WCHA had five players named to the 2006-07 AHCA All-America team with three first-team selections and two second-team honorees. Wisconsin's Jessie Vetter was selected as the first team goaltender while UW's Meaghan Mikkelson (defense) and Sara Bauer (forward) were also named to the first team. Ohio State's Tessa Bonhomme (defenseman) and Wisconsin's Bobbi-Jo Slusar (defenseman) were second team selections.

National Coach of the Year: The AHCA named Wisconsin's Mark Johnson as Div. 1 national coach of the year for the second straight season.

Patty Kazmaier Award: For the second straight season, Wisconsin's Sara Bauer was one of the three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which goes to the top player in women's college hockey. Last year, Bauer won the award and two years ago Minnesota's Krissy Wendell became the first WCHA player to receive the honor.

WCHA Post-Season Honors: For the second straight season, Wisconsin forward Sara Bauer was named the WCHA Player of the Year. UW defenseman Meaghan Mikkelson was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, Minnesota Duluth goaltender Riitta Schaublin was the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight year, UW forward Meghan Duggan was the WCHA Rookie of the Year, the Badgers' Christine Dufour was the WCHA Goaltending Champion, Bauer was the WCHA Scoring Champion, and UW's Mark Johnson was the WCHA Coach of the Year.

2006-07 All-WCHA First Team: F - Sara Bauer, UW; F - Noemie Marin, UMD; F - Gigi Marvin, UM; D - Meaghan Mikkelson, UW; D - Tessa Bonhomme, OSU; G - Jessie Vetter, UW.
2006-07 All-WCHA Second Team: F - Meghan Duggan, UW; F - Erin Keys, OSU; F - Jinelle Zaugg, UW; D - Amber Bowman, OSU; D - Bobbi-Jo Slusar, UW; G - Kim Martin, UMD.
2006-07 All-WCHA Third Team: F - Jessica Koizumi, UMD; F - Erika Lawler, UW; F - Bobbi Ross, UM; D - Melanie Gagnon, UM; D - Lisa Chesson, OSU; G - Christine Dufour, UW.
2006-07 All-WCHA Rookie Team: F - Meghan Duggan, UW; F - Holly Roberts, SCSU; F - Saara Tuominen, UMD; D - Holly Snyder, MSU; D - Michelle Maunu, UM and Ashley Lynch, UND (tie); G - Kim Martin, UMD.

UMD's Schaublin Named Student-Athlete of the Year Again: Minnesota Duluth's Riitta Schaublin was named the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. A senior goaltender from Basel, Switzerland, Schaublin ranked among the league goaltending leaders, finishing third with a .938 save percentage and fourth with a 1.59 goals-against average. A two-time All-WCHA Academic Team member, Schaublin was a Patty Kazmaier Award finalist last year and completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics with a 3.94 GPA. She is pursuing her degree in the UMD Math Department's master's program during her final year of athletic eligibility and had a 4.0 GPA last semester while serving as a teacher's assistant for calculus II class. She plans to finish graduate school in December, 2007 and eventually obtain a PhD in economics.

League Announces Second Annual Group of WCHA Scholar-Athletes: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, through Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, Associate Commissioner Sara Martin, Minnesota State Faculty Representative Ken Anglin (Chair, men's league) and Ohio State Faculty Representative John Bruno (Chair, women's league) today (Feb. 1, 2007) announced the second annual group of WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipients.

Twenty-three (23) of this season's 49 WCHA Scholar-Athletes are repeat honorees. On the women's side, they were: Maggie Souba of Minnesota, Jessica Koizumi and Riitta Schaublin of Minnesota Duluth, Kristina Bunker, Jodi Helminen, and Shera Vis of Minnesota State; Mallory Peckels and Erika Vanderveer of Ohio State; Bobbie Anderson, Laura Fast, and Denelle Maguet of St. Cloud State; and Sara Bauer of Wisconsin.

"The WCHA is truly pleased to present this second annual group of WCHA Scholar-Athletes today," said McLeod, Martin, Anglin and Bruno in a joint statement. "These outstanding young men and women represent the very best in collegiate athletics and we are extremely proud to call them our own. This honor is among the most prestigious of all and is indicative of the tremendous commitment these student-athletes have made at their respective institutions, both on and off the ice."

The WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award was developed though Association-member Faculty Representatives and approved by the conference membership beginning for the 2005-06 season. To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution. WCHA Scholar-Athletes were recognized and honored on-ice with a commemorative plaque at member team home games during the remainder of the 2006-07 season. The winners were also be recognized in tournament programs and in future men's and women's conference yearbooks.

Women's WCHA Scholar-Athletes for 2006-07 were (*repeat honoree): BSU: Brooke Collins, So; Lisa Kissick, So; Monica Rawlings, So; Kate Robinson, Sr; Helena Tageson, Sr; Nina Ziegenhals, Sr. UM: Gigi Marvin, So; Maggie Souba*, Sr. UMD: Jessica Koizumi*, Sr; Riitta Schaublin*, Sr; Myriam Trepanier, So. MSU: Kristina Bunker*, Jr; Jenna Hewitt, So; Lindsay Macy, Jr; Shera Vis*, Sr. UND: Aynsley Allen, Sr; Christey Allen, Jr; Christy Carlson, So; Casie Hanson, So; Alyssa Johnson, So. OSU: Liana Bonanno, So; Erin Keys, Jr; Mallory Peckels*, Jr; Erika Vanderveer*, Sr. SCSU: Bobbie Anderson*, Jr; Laura Fast*, Jr; Denelle Maguet*, Sr. UW: Sara Bauer*, Sr.

2006-07 All-WCHA Academic Team: BSU: Haley Balcom, Emily Brookshaw, Brooke Collins, Tara Hiscock, Lisa Kissick, Jaime LeDuc, Jessica Pullar, Monica Rawlings, Kate Robinson, Helena Tageson, Nina Zieganhals. UM: Lindsay Block, Gigi Marvin, Erica McKenzie, Anya Miller, Andrea Nichols, Bobbi Ross, Maggie Souba, Dagney Willey. UMD: Karine Demeule, Kirsti Hakala, Jessica Koizumi, Michaela Lanzl, Noemie Marin, Tawni Mattila, Riitta Schaublin, Myriam Trepanier, Suvi Vacker. MSU: Kristina Bunker, Jodi Helminen, Jenna Hewitt, Megan Jedinak, Britni Kehler, Lindsay Macy, Samantha Miller, Richelle St. Croix, Amanda Stohr, Andreanne Thibault, Shera Vis, Ashley Young. UND: Aynsley Allen, Christey Allen, Christine Carlson, Alexia Gagnon-LaPlante, Casie Hanson, Alyssa Johnson, Randi Motsko. OSU: Olivia Antognoli, Liana Bonanno, Amber Bowman, Jody Heywood, Megan Hostasek, Erin Keys, Whitney Miller, Mallory Peckels, Lacey Schultz, Krysta Skarda, Erika Vanderveer. SCSU: Bobbie Anderson, Hailey Clarkson, Jacqueline Jensen, Abby Krause, Laura Fast, Tricia Fast, Marie-Michel Lemieux, Denelle Maguet, Michelle Moen, Sammy Nixon, Brita Schroeder, Lauri St. Jacques. UW: Sara Bauer, Rachel Bible, Angie Keseley, Heidi Kletzien, Meaghan Mikkelson, Phoebe Monteleone, Jessie Vetter.

USCHO.com Honors: For the second straight year Wisconsin's Sara Bauer was named the USCHO.com Player of the Year and Badger teammate Bobbi-Jo Slusar was honored as the Defensive Player of the Year. Bauer was also recognized on the All-USCHO First Team with UW defensemen Slusar and Meaghan Mikkelson. Ohio State's Erin Keys received the Most Improved Player Award. Wisconsin goalie Jessie Vetter was a second-team honoree while Minnesota Duluth forward Noemie Marin and Ohio State defensemen Tessa Bonhomme and Amber Bowman were named to the third team. Wisconsin's Meghan Duggan was named to the All-Rookie team.

Hockey Humantarian Award: Jody Heywood, a junior defenseman at Ohio State, was one of the five finalists for the 2007 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Jody visits the local Children's Hospital once a quarter. She particpated in the Hurricane Katrina Phone-a-Thon which raised money for victims, as well as, the Schott-a-Thon, a Wish for Kids event. She periodically reads at the local school and is a volunteer at Race for the Cure. She spoke at Westerville Girl Power Day and helped at the Franklin County Youth Penitentiary Center where she was a volunteer with Youth for Christ to lead monthly chapels and meet with teenagers. She is involved with the athletes in action leadership team and has served meals at the YMCA for needy families. She also is involved with Habitat for Humanity, has spoken to youth groups for churches, and aided in classrooms of inner city schools as an Urban Concern Volunteer.

2006-07 Season-Ending Team Notebooks

Bemidji State Beavers
Bemidji State finished the 2006-07 season with an overall record of 11-20-5 and a conference record of 9-15-4...with the 11-win season this is the first time Bemidji State has won ten or more games in back-to-back seasons...Bemidji State garnered 22 points in conference play this season and that is the most points Bemidji State has ever attained during a conference season...Bemidji State garnered a six-game unbeaten streak during the 2006-07 season which was the longest unbeaten streak for the Beavers since the 2001-02 season when the Beavers garnered a eight-game unbeaten streak...Bemidji State's unbeaten streak went from Dec. 16, 2006 to Jan. 13, 2007...Bemidji State junior goaltender Emily Brookshaw (Webster, WI) finished the season with a 10-20-5 record for the Beavers...with the 10 wins Brookshaw picked up the most wins in a season by a goaltender at Bemidji State, passing Bre Dedrickson who previously held the record with nine wins in a season...Brookshaw also became BSU's all-time leader in career shutouts with five, with two this season coming against North Dakota (1-0) and Minnesota (2-0)...she also became just the second BSU goaltender to amass 20 wins in a career joining Bre Dedrickson...Brookshaw currently holds down the second spot on the career saves list with 2003 saves in her career...senior Kelly Hart (Ajax, ON) lead the Beavers in scoring for the fourth consecutive season...Hart recorded seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points...she became the all-time assist leader this season at Bemidji State, passing Amber Fryklund's mark of 63...Hart finished her career with 67 assists...Hart also joined Fryklund as just the second player in Bemidji State history to amass 100 points in her career...senior Kate Robinson (Shanty Bay, ON) was second on the team in scoring with 17 points (8-9-17) with Senior Nikki Eckebrecht (Hamilton, ON) finishing in a close third with 16 points (4-12-16)...freshman Ashley Leopold (Afton, MN) led this year's freshman class in scoring with five points (2-3-5)...Bemidji State ended the season on a five-game losing streak, the longest of the season for the Beavers.

Minnesota Golden Gophers
The University of Minnesota women's hockey team finished second in the WCHA Playoff Championship after defeating Minnesota Duluth, 3-2 in overtime, to send the Gophers to their seventh straight conference playoff title game...the Golden Gophers, however, fell to Wisconsin, 3-1 to end their season...it was the first time since 2001 that the Gophers have not competed in the NCAA tournament...the Gophers finished the season with a 23-12-1 record overall and a 17-10-1 mark in conference play...leading the Gopher scoring charge was sophomore forward Gigi Marvin...in 35 games played, Marvin scored 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points...of her 18 goals, 10 came on the power-play, while six were game-winning goals...for her efforts, Marvin was named to the 2006-07 All-WCHA First Team...she was also named to the WCHA All-Tournament Team and was voted the team's Most Valuable Player at their year-end banquet...Marvin competed internationally as well when she made her first trek to the World Championships, where she earned a silver medal with Team USA...team captain Bobbi Ross held the team's second-highest point total with 35 points, including a team-high 19 goals...leading the conference with eight game-winning goals, Ross was named to the All-WCHA Third Team as well as the WCHA All-Tournament Team when she scored a shorthanded goal against Wisconsin...following Ross in scoring was rookie Brittany Francis with 30 points, Melanie Gagnon with 27 and Erica McKenzie and Whitney Graft with 26 each...like Ross, Gagnon was named to the All-WCHA Third Team, while freshman defenseman Michelle Maunu was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team...the Gophers say goodbye to seniors Andrea Nichols, Maggie Souba and Becky Wacker...Nichols, a two-time captain, finished her senior season with 23 points and 80 in her career...Souba played as both a forward and defenseman during her tenure and captured 10 points...as a senior, Souba played in all 36 games as a defenseman...Wacker finished her collegiate career with 29 goals and 24 assists for 53 points...Souba and Marvin were named WCHA Scholar-Athletes in 2006-07, each posting grade-point averages above 3.5...the Gophers had eight earn WCHA All-Academic Team honors in 2006-07 in Lindsay Block, Marvin, McKenzie, Anya Miller, Nichols, Ross, Souba and Dagney Willey...the Gophers welcome five incoming freshmen to the roster next year...goaltender Jenny Lura (North Vancouver, BC, and forwards Laura May (Dellwood, MN), Terra Rasmussen (Coon Rapids, MN), Jennifer Schoullis (Girard, PA) and Emily West (Colorado Springs, CO) will all join the Gopher program in the fall of 2007.

Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Facing a depleted roster due to injuries for much of the season, the University of Minnesota Duluth regrouped just in time for the playoffs and went on a remarkable run that came to an end in the NCAA national championship game...despite falling to the University of Wisconsin in the title game, the Bulldogs have much to be proud of considering for much of the season it seemed as though Minnesota Duluth had no chance of making the playoffs at all...after taking two of three games against St. Cloud State in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs, UMD advanced to the WCHA championship tournament and ultimately fell to the University of Minnesota in the semifinal game...when selection Sunday rolled around, the Bulldogs were picked to participate in their third NCAA Regional since the format was introduced in the 2004-05 season, and the Bulldogs' sixth NCAA playoff appearance overall...the Bulldogs managed to pull out a thrilling overtime win over No. 2 ranked Mercyhurst College to advance to UMD's fourth overall Frozen Four...Minnesota Duluth dispatched Boston College in double-overtime in its semifinal game of the Frozen Four to advance to the title game against Wisconsin. Other highlights from the season: 24-11-4 overall...19-6-3 WCHA...Runner-up finish at the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four in Lake Placid, NY...ranked No. 2 in the final USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll...ranked No. 8 in the final USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll. Statistical leaders: senior captain Noemie Marin led the team in goals (24), assists (29) and points (53)...freshman forward Saara Tuominen led the Bulldog freshman in points with 40 on the season...she had 12 goals and 28 assists...freshman goalie Kim Martin finished the season with an 11-7-2 record and a 1.58 goals-against average...she had a .941 saves percentage...senior goaltender Riitta Schaublin went 13-4-2 on the year with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .930 saves percentage...she leaves UMD with a career record of 65-27-8...she is first on the UMD charts in goaltender wins, with the second place player having 44...head coach Shannon Miller reached the milestone of 200 wins this season, all coming at the helm of the Bulldog program...Miller is now 200-57-24 in eight seasons at Minnesota Duluth...Miller was also a finalist for the AHCA Women's Ice Hockey Division One Coach of the Year...senior Noemie Marin put an exclamation mark on her collegiate puck career by winning the Most Outstanding Female Performance Award at the 2007 Pontiac Frozen Skills Challenge in St. Louis, Mo....Marin was also a top-10 finalist for the 2007 Patty Kazmaier Award...All-WCHA First Team - Noemie Marin...All-WCHA Second Team - Kim Martin...All-WCHA Third Team - Jessica Koizumi...All-WCHA Rookie Team - Saara Tuominen, Kim Martin...All-WCHA Academic Team - Karine Demeule, Kirsti Hakala, Jessica Koizumi, Michaela Lanzl, Noemie Marin, Tawni Mattila, Riitta Schaublin, Myriam Trepanier, Suvi Vacker...WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year - Riitta Schaublin...WCHA Scholar-Athletes - Jessica Koizumi, Riitta Schaublin, Myriam Trepanier...WCHA Offensive Players of the Week: Oct. 31 - Sara O'Toole; Nov. 28 - Jessica Koizumi...WCHA Defensive Players of the Week: Oct. 31 - Kim Martin; Jan. 23 - Riitta Schaublin...WCHA Rookies of the Week: Oct. 10 - Saara Tuominen; Oct. 17 - Jaime Rasmussen; Jan. 16 - Saara Tuominen; Fe.b 13 - Elin Holmlov; Feb. 20 - Elin Holmlov...USCHO.com Defensive Player of the Week: Feb. 6 - Kim Martin; Jan. 23 - Riitta Schaublin; Nov. 28 - Kim Martin...NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team: Jessica Koizumi

Minnesota State Mavericks
Minnesota State completed the 2006-07 campaign with an overall record of 16-18-2...the Mavericks, who lost two games to the Ohio State University in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, finished fifth in the league final regular season standings with 12-14-2 record...after going 6-12-1 in the first 19 games of the year, the Mavericks went 10-6-1 in the remaining 17 games of the season...head coach Jeff Vizenor, who completes his sixth season at the MSU women's hockey helm and his eight season as a college head coach...the Rogers, Minn., native owns a a career collegiate coaching record of 110-168-26 and is 66-120-21 in his tenure with the Mavericks...MSU's all-time record in nine years of competition is 90-190-25...MSU's record in seven seasons of WCHA regular-season action is 44-141-19...MSU's seven-game winning streak from Dec. 9-Jan. 20, which included a two-game sweep over #7 Minnesota, established a school record...MSU's 2006-07 team award recipients included Britni Kehler (Most Valuable Player and Buffalo Wild Wings Star of the Year), Christina Lee (Rookie of the Year), Kathleen Rosso (Most Improved Player), Shera Vis (Most Improved Player, Tiffany Searles Memorial Award, Community Service Award) and Sammy Miller (Maverick Pride Award)...12 Mavericks were named to the 2006-07 WCHA All-Acadademic team: Kristina Bunker, Jr.; Jodi Helminen, Jr.; Jenna Hewitt, So.; Megan Jedinak, Sr.; Britni Kehler, Jr.; Lindsay Macy, Jr.; Samantha Miller, Sr.; Richelle St. Croix, Sr.; Amanda Stohr, Jr.; Andreanne Thibault, Jr.; Shera Vis, Sr.; Ashley Young, So....freshman defenseman Holly Snyder was selected to the 2006-07 WCHA All-Rookie Team...the Kenosha, Wis., native had 0-5--5 in 31 games in her debut campaign with the Mavericks...Snyder tied for eight on the team in plus/minus with a +1...junior goaltender Britni Kehler, who went 16-15-2 with a save percentage of .919 and a goals-against average of 2.78 in 2006-07, established several school records during the course of the season...Kehler, who started 33 of MSU's 35 games now owns MSU records for single-season wins (16, 2006-07), single-season shutouts (5, 2006-07), single-season saves (1,064, 2006-07), shots (1,158, 2006-07), single-season minutes (2028:33, 2006-07), career shutouts (12) and career wins (32)...sophomore forward Maggie Fisher, who totalled 17-17-34, led the Mavericks in scoring for the second consecutive season...named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after totalling five points (1g,4a) in a two-game sweep over North Dakota Oct. 21-22, Fisher's 34 points this year ranks second on MSU's single-season list...a South St. Paul, Minn., native, Fisher led MSU with five game-winning goals and now has seven for her two-year MSU career...both marks have established school records...junior forward Lindsay Macy, in her first season with the Mavericks after sitting out a year following a transfer from the University of Wisconsin, ranked second on the team in points with 16-17-33 in 34 games...the Owatonna, Minn., native was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week and USCHO.com Player of the Week after she scored twice and added two assists in a 6-0 home win over Robert Morris on Oct. 1, 2006...freshman forward Christina Lee, one of two freshmen to see action in all 35 games (defenseman Ida Clark was the other) enjoyed a solid debut campaign, posting 15-13-28 to rank third on MSU's scoring charts...named WCHA Rookie of the Week after collecting three goals and an assist in a sweep over North Dakota Jan. 6-7, Lee led the Mavericks with eight power-play goals...junior forward Kristina Bunker, one of nine Mavericks to play in all 35 games this year, has racked up 20-41-61 in 106 games during the course of her three-year MSU career - a mark that ranks second on the school's career points list...the Blaine, Minn., native led the Mavericks with 18 assists this year and her 41 career assists are a school record...senior forward Shera Vis, who had career highs for goals (11), assists (12) and points (23) in her final season with the Mavericks, led the Mavericks in plus/minus with a +12...Vis completes her career ranking second in games played with 136...the Thunder Bay, Ont., native totalled 23-25-48 during the course of her four seasons at MSU...junior forward Amanda Stohr, who has totalled 23-26-46 in 97 career games, had 7-8-15 in 30 games this year...the South St. Paul, Minn., native was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after a four-point weekend (3g,1a) in a split with Bemidji State on Dec. 8-9, 2006...Stohr led the Mavericks with three shorthanded goals this year and now has four for her career...senior defenseman Sammy Miller completed her MSU career with 3-9-12 in 131 career games...Miller, who represented MSU at the 2007 Frozen Four Skills Challenge, ranks seventh on the school's career games played list...junior forward Jodi Helminen ranked sixth on MSU's scoring charts with 7-12-19 in 2006-07 in establishing career-highs for goals, assists and points...the Brighton, Mich., native tallied 3-2-5 in the last six games of the season.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux
Ashley Lynch was named to the 2006-07 WCHA All-Rookie Team after playing in 34 games and ranking second in the WCHA in scoring for rookie defensemen...Lynch led all Fighting Sioux defensemen in scoring with three goals and three assists...North Dakota had seven players named to the WCHA All-Academic Team...the players named to the team are: Aynsley Allen, Christey Allen, Christy Carlson, Alexia Gagnon-Laplante, Casie Hanson, Alyssa Johnson, and Randi Motsko...Ashley Lynch and Casie Hanson tied the North Dakota single season record for goals by a defensemen with three goals...Samantha Bowers and Alexia Gagnon-Laplante led the Fighting Sioux in scoring with eight points apiece...the 2006-07 season was the first season in Fighting Sioux women's hockey history that UND opened up its season with a victory...in the previous seasons, UND had either lost or tied its first season opponent...goalie Brittany Kirkham has added her name to numerous UND single-season records for her play this past season...Kirkham has set the UND record for games played by a goaltender with 35 games played...Kirkham is ranked fifth in single-season save percentage (.887) and single-season goals-against average (3.64)...North Dakota graduates two players in Alexia Gagnon-Laplante and Aynsley...Allen who have each played over 100 games in a Fighting Sioux uniform...Samantha Bowers set a new Fighting Sioux single-season record for penalty minutes with 106. It breaks the old UND record of 100, which was set by Bowers during the 2005-06 season...North Dakota set a team record for losses with 31 total losses on the season.

Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State had its best season ever, reaching 20 wins for the first time in the eight-year program and finishing with a final record of 20-13-4...the Buckeyes also had a program-best 30 points in the WCHA standings and finished fourth with a 13-11-4 mark in conference games...junior defenseman Tessa Bonhomme became Ohio State's third All-American after being named to the RBK/AHCA All-America Second Team...she also was the fourth Buckeye to be a Top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award...the Buckeyes had a team-record four student-athletes named to 2006-07 All-WCHA teams in Tessa Bonhomme (first team), Amber Bowman (second team), Erin Keys (second team) and Lisa Chesson (third team)...Ohio State hosted the first round of the WCHA playoffs for the first time under the league's new postseason format...the Buckeyes swept Minnesota State by scores of 1-0 and 5-4 (ot) to advance to the WCHA Playoff Championship semifinals at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis...senior defenseman Amber Bowman concluded her career as Ohio State's all-time leader in points by a defenseman with 102...she is just the third Buckeye to surpass the 100-point milestone...Bowman also ranks second in career assists with 73...senior goaltender Erika Vanderveer had a solid final season to secure her name atop almost all Ohio State goalie records...she holds the career records for wins (42), save percentage (.910) and GAA (2.56) and is second in totals saves with 2,268 (25.48 saves/game)...in the season records, Vanderveer holds the records for wins (18), saves (780), save percentage (.920) and GAA (2.19) - all of which were set this season...junior forward Erin Keys led the Buckeyes with 48 points, the second-highest point total in a single season in OSU history...she also had a team-high 22 goals, 12 of which were scored on the power-play to tie for seventh in the nation...three Buckeyes finished in the Top 6 nationally in defenseman points per game, averaging at least one point per game...Tessa Bonhomme was fourth with 1.09, Amber Bowman as fifth with 1.03 and Lisa Chesson was sixth with 1.00...Ohio State set a program record with a 10-game unbeaten streak that ran from Oct. 28 vs. Minnesota to Dec. 8 at Minnesota Duluth...during the 10 games, the Buckeyes were 9-0-1 and outscored their opponents 31-9...one of the Buckeyes' most improved areas was their power-play, where they finished ninth in the NCAA with a 21.1% conversion rate, scoring on 40 of 190 opportunities...in 2005-06, Ohio State scored just 20 of 159 chances for a 12.6 percent rate, ranking 23rd in the nation.

St. Cloud State Huskies
Under the helm of first-year head coach Jeff Giesen, St. Cloud State completed the 2006-07 season with a 12-18-7 overall record and a 7-16-5 mark in the WCHA...SCSU (seventh-seeded) became the first lower seed team to push a WCHA quarterfinal best-of-three series to the third and deciding game this season against second-seeded Minnesota Duluth on Feb. 23-25 at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth...UMD won the first game by a score of 4-3, SCSU was victorious in the second game 3-1, and the Bulldogs defeated SCSU in the third game of the series, 5-1, to advance to the WCHA Playoff Championship semifinals in Minneapolis...the Huskies Bobbie Anderson (Whitecourt, AB), Laura Fast (Calgary, AB) and Denelle Maguet (St. Rose, MB) were all named WCHA Scholar-Athletes for the second time in their respected careers...SCSU's women's hockey team tallied the school's 100th all-time win on Friday, Feb. 16, with a convincing 6-1 victory over North Dakota in the National Hockey Center...SCSU's all-time record, dating back to the inception of the program in 1998, is now 102-179-21...the Huskies played in 10 overtime games this season, which tied the NCAA Division I women's hockey record for most overtime games played in a season...Ohio State initially set the record in 2002, and then tied their own record in 2006...St. Cloud State's (12-18-7) seven ties during the regular season led the nation in 2006-07...the NCAA Division I record for most ties in a season is eight, held by Bemidji State (2002), Northeastern (2004) and Connecticut (2005)...Hailey Clarkson (Winnipegosis, MB), a senior forward, charted 85 points (33g,52a) in a Husky uniform, ranking her fifth on the all-time scoring list at SCSU...a 2004 transfer from Findlay, Clarkson scored her 100th collegiate career point on Nov. 4, 2006 against Vermont and then went on to complete her collegiate career with 119 points (46g,73a)...SCSU was unbeaten in non-conference action this year, sporting a 4-0-2 (.833) record...Wisconsin, the two-time defending national champion, was the only other WCHA team to post an undefeated non-conference record, going 7-0-0...SCSU has an all-time non-conference record of 41-49-5 since 1998...SCSU's first-year forward Holly Roberts (St. Cloud, MN) was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team after finishing the season ranked third in overall WCHA freshman scoring with 35 points (18g,17a)...the last Husky to be named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team was Kelly Stewart after the 2002-03 season...the Huskies had 12 student-athletes named to the 2006-07 All-WCHA Academic Team this year...the Huskies said good-bye to six seniors at the completion of the 2006-07 season...they were Bobbie Anderson (Whitecourt, AB), Hailey Clarkson (Winnipegosis, MB), Tricia Fast (Calgary, AB), Jackie Jensen (Madison, WI), Denelle Maguet (St. Rose, MB) and Lauri St. Jacques (Sturgeon Falls, ON).

Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin claimed its second straight NCAA championship by defeating Minnesota Duluth 4-1 in Lake Placid, N.Y., on the same sheet of ice where Mark Johnson scored two goals against the Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice" game during the 1980 Olympics...the last program to win back-to-back NCAA titles at Wisconsin was the women's cross country team in 1984 and 1985...enroute to their 36-1-4 overall record, the Badgers broke or tied 18 NCAA team and individual records including most wins in a season, fewest losses, best winning percentage (.927), fewest goals allowed (36) and most shutouts (18)...sophomore goaltender Jessie Vetter shut out St. Lawrence 4-0 in the first game of the Frozen Four to record her 10th shutout of the season, tying the NCAA record for shutouts in a single season...Vetter has recorded the only three shutouts in NCAA Frozen Four history...with 72 wins in the last two seasons (72-5-5), the Badgers have now won more games in a two-year period than any other team in NCAA women's hockey history...the only other Division I program to post 72 wins in two seasons is the Michigan State men's team, which did so three times (1983-85 or 1984-86 and 1988-1990)...however, the fewest games that MSU ever needed to reach 72 wins was 89 while the Badgers did so in just 82 games...head coach Mark Johnson was named the AHCA Women's Division I Coach of the Year for the second straight season...Johnson has a career record of 147-28-14 (.815) in five seasons as head coach of the Badgers...his winning percentage ranks him first among active NCAA Division I women's head coaches...for the second straight season, the Badgers also swept the WCHA regular season and playoff championships...as a result, UW players captured WCHA awards for Player of the Year (Sara Bauer), Defensive Player of the Year (Meaghan Mikkelson) and Rookie of the Year (Meghan Duggan)...the Badgers ended the 2006-07 season ranked first nationally in attendance, averaging 1,362 fans per game...the UW attracted a record 28,607 spectators in 21 games this season, including over 5,000 for the team's thrilling four overtime win over Harvard in the NCAA quarterfinals at the Kohl Center...senior Sara Bauer, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA Women's Frozen Four, became the first Badger to be a two-time, first-team AHCA All-American and was joined on the first team by sophomore Jessie Vetter and senior Meaghan Mikkelson...team captain Bobbi-Jo Slusar was named a second-team All-American...although she did not win her second straight Patty Kazmaier Award, Bauer instead claimed Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player honors along with the national championship...Bauer finished the season with 72 points (24 goals, 48 assists), including points on seven of UW's nine goals in the NCAA tournament...Bauer leaves Wisconsin holding 17 single season and career school records including career points (218), assists (138), games played (152) and plus/minus rating (+150)...Christine Dufour and Jessie Vetter became the first goalies in NCAA men's or women's history to finish a season with a goals-against average below 1.00 while seeing significant time in the net...Vetter's goals-against average for the season was 0.83 while Dufour's was 0.88.

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